Boys Scouts help out family of deceased Eagle Scout

Boy Scout Troop 226 recently helped the Muncy family of White Lake Township clean up and winterize their property. Eagle Scout Christopher Muncy was killed in a motorcycle accident in September, leaving his wife and three children behind.

“Once an Eagle, always an Eagle” is a saying close to the Muncy family’s hearts.

Christopher Muncy, 53, is an Eagle Scout who died tragically when he was struck by several cars on Southbound U.S. 23 in Hartland Township after losing control of his motorcycle. He was on his way home to White Lake from work at Panera Bread in Fenton.

He left behind a family including three children — Caitlin, 18, a student at the College of Creative Studies; Jon, 15, and Ryan, 13, who both attend Walled Lake Schools — and his wife of 27 years, Linda.

The family has gone through a difficult time with the sudden loss of a father and a husband — but the community, including a local Boy Scout troop, has reached out to try to help them and make their lives a bit easier.

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Kerri Barnett-Novack, scout committee member for Troop 226 sponsored by St. Patrick’s Church in White Lake, knows the family because Jon is a member of the troop. She said the family has faced many challenges, including the upkeep of their home and their half-acre of property.

Christopher Muncy was an outdoorsman, Linda Muncy said. He normally took care of the things such as the landscaping and winterizing the house.

“When you have a house with 100 trees on your lot (it’s overwhelming) ... It was literally going to be 500 bags of leaves,” Barnett-Novack said.

That’s when Troop 226 stepped in to help an Eagle Scout in need. For one day, the troop, with around 30 members, helped rake leaves, clean gutters and sort items in the garage at the Muncy home.

“It was absolutely amazing the amount of them and how they converged here,” Linda Muncy said. “It was heartwarming.”

The family would not have been able to clean up the house and yard in time for winter if it weren’t for the troop coming in.

“We came in because we really wanted to help her out,” Barnett-Novack said. “It was a wonderful event, it was challenging, but enjoyable.”

Jon, who helped with the clean-up, has followed in his father’s footsteps and is on his way to being an Eagle Scout, too. He is one ranking away from being an Eagle and has the Scout honor “Order of the Arrow,” like his father.

Linda Muncy said that it was inspiring for her son to see the troop come out and help his family.

“My husband probably did these things for other family members when he was young, so it was kind of like a legacy,” she said. “It took the tragedy and sadness and showed us how much people care about us.”

Barnett-Novack said the turnout was huge and they were happy to help another Eagle.